Chapter Eleven: Play Time

Jack watched his lover walk out of the living room and heaved a sigh as he locked eyes with his mother, "Seriously Mama, you sure know how to make a great first impression."

"Lauren, how could you treat that young man so badly?" Ben asked sharply.

"I don't believe that my Johnny is sleeping with a man, that he has gone so far off the path from where you started out with Sarah and Charlie. I can't accept that this is what you want to do with the rest of your life, hide what you are from your bosses and from the rest of the world? This is looked down upon by the church and by most of the world, including the state you happen to live it!"

"Did you just bring up religion about this?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Yes I did, the church doesn't accept homosexuals."

"Oh my god, I didn't realize you were so closed minded about this! I'm with Daniel about this; don't touch our children if you are going to hate the fact that Daniel and I are both their parents. They are incredibly sensitive to the feelings of people around them and I won't let you hurt them. I love you Mama, so much but I am sad you feel this way."

Jack walked past them as well and out to the backyard to watch as Daniel ran around with Greer, Zada and Zale. Janet and Claire were playing on little squat bikes and Johnny was watching and laughing about his siblings' antics. Jack moved closer and picked up his youngest to cuddle him close. He allowed the love he felt run through him and soak into Johnny's skin and soul. He ignored the sadness that he felt because his mother wasn't willing to let go of the relationship he had with Sarah despite the happiness that was always inside Jack when he was with Daniel, when he was thinking of his partner and their kids.

That light his dad and Daniel were talking about, he didn't know it was inside him because he'd always been sure that the sunshine had always come from Daniel. When he smiled at Jack, he knew that he was capable of anything. When Daniel looked at him with that little smile, Jack knew he was loved and accepted completely by his partner.

"Hey Jackie, your mother went upstairs for now."

Jack turned and nodded to his father, they both went back to watching Daniel with the kids. The younger man knew they were there staring at him but Daniel always had this amazing ability to focus so completely on the task at hand or the person he was paying attention to. Jack knew from a lot of experience that all that focus was a heady feeling and it was something that their children got a lot.

"He's clearly a good man Jack and I'm just glad to see the life in you again, if that is his doing than he is already a blessing to your mother and me whether she thinks its true or not."

"When did the religious thing come into this? I have never heard Mama even have an opinion about religious crap let alone use it to argue some case."

"You know she loved Sarah and she always wanted you two to make it work, this has just been a crazy couple of days. I'm sorry that Daniel was hurt by her words and attitude."

"Me too Pop, because I am going to marry him again while we're here in Boston. Same-sex marriage is legal here but Daniel doesn't know yet. I was hoping you and Mom and the rest of the family might be there. If not though, then Daniel and I will just go with the kids."

"I would love to be there, to give you away to your blushing bride," Ben grinned.

Jack smiled and Johnny turned to focus on Ben, reaching out to touch his grandfather. Since Johnny was smiling, Jack didn't think the kid would do anything to scare his father and Jack could explain any weirdness away, he might be a little out of practice but he was good as spinning crap into gold when it came to plausible deniability.

"He seems to be very quiet," Ben responded as he took Johnny's hand and pressed it to his cheek.

"Johnny doesn't talk, he knows what we're saying and has found other ways to communicate but he's never spoken any words."

"Why's that?" Ben asked gently, kissing Johnny's palm. Jack could see the moment when Ben started feeling what Johnny was sending to him. Jack smiled when that goofy little smile lit up his father's face; Jack knew it from the mirror. Johnny was a wonder to him, always had been.

Daniel walked up while Jack was watching his father's face. Johnny touched him for a moment longer before he turned to smile at his Daddy, gesturing for Daniel to take him. Jack gladly handed the little boy to his beloved Daddy who feathered kisses across his cheek and looked at Ben, "I know, it's pretty amazing isn't it?"

"What was that?" Ben asked.

"His way of telling you he likes you," Daniel responded with a grin.

"I feel warm and loved," Ben sighed.

"Yeah, that's our Johnny," Jack said, glad that Daniel didn't feel like lying to Jack's dad.

Ben focused on Daniel, "I hope you know that your beautiful family is always welcome here. It has been too long since Jack has been in here and been way to long since he was smiling and happy. He got that life within from you, I know it and I am grateful to you for it."

Daniel smiled, nodding and giving that goofy happy smile. Jack couldn't help the need he felt to lean in and kiss Daniel before he gave Johnny a kiss on the temple. "Go play with your sister, okay buddy?" Jack asked his son and Johnny gave a breathy giggle before he complied.

Jack pulled Daniel to stand close to him and Jack watched his dad wipe away the tears Johnny brought out of him. "Thanks Pop, I didn't know what your reaction would be to this, I didn't know you would accept me as I am now and I am happy that you can. Its more than I ever hoped for honestly."

Ben nodded, "You tell me when and where I can see you next and I will be there even if my lovely wife can't figure out to let go of the past."

Jack smiled and pulled Ben close to hug them both tightly to him. Daniel's arm wrapped around Jack's dad and held him close as well. Jack watched as Daniel tucked his chin into Ben's neck, breathing him in and Jack knew that at least letting Daniel have the opportunity to possibly have this relationship with family was always going to be the right thing to do. Daniel didn't know what family was until Jack, Sam and Teal'c showed him the way. The foster care was much like Charlie in a lot of ways; Daniel never spoke about it, as if it would overwhelm him if he admitted it was there in his past.

If Jack and Ben could give Daniel a dad even for a short time, it would always be worth it.

After a while Daniel pulled away, embarrassed by his inability to let go of Jack or Ben before he laughed off his reaction and climbed down the steps and started playing with the kids again. Jack and Ben took opposite seats on the porch chairs and just enjoyed the entertainment of the kids and Daniel who would sneeze every once in a while, it was spring and his allergies were acting up again now that they weren't being pumped full of magical protection. It didn't stop him from playing though.

"He's a good father clearly," Ben remarked.

"The very best, he is called Daddy if you talk to the kids, I am Papa. It's the only way we wouldn't be confused about who was who while they were growing up."

Ben nodded, "Got it, how'd you pick those particular names?"

"Daddy Daniel just rolled off the tongue, and I always called you Pop."

Ben smiled, "Makes sense then. What about the mothers?"

"They got pregnant for us, never wanted to be moms. Its one of the reasons we agreed to it. They didn't even stick around for long after they were born, long enough to give breast milk and most of the time they delivered that to us because they didn't want to kids to bond with them instead of us. Danny and I wanted to be parents, we didn't want to be a part of two couples."

"You were lucky to find surrogates willing to walk away from their children like that," Ben stated.

"Yeah, they offered sensing what we wanted before we ever spoke the words. We were blessed with Zale and Zada who have been a blessing. Later we decided to try again and told the girls we would try once with each other them and who ever got pregnant then it would be the right one that we were meant to have, instead of one of the girls getting pregnant they both did and Danny's surrogate was having twins to boot."

Jack laughed at the thought and Ben joined in, "What was it like holding them for the first time after Charlie?"

Jack shrugged, "Charlie will always be with me, and for a while I couldn't touch Zale because he was so beautifully Daniel's son and mine but what if I failed them like I did Charlie? When Johnny was born that was pretty tough as well because he was biologically my son, it was like Charlie reincarnated to me and I had to remember as he grew up that he was Johnny, my special little boy who I had to love and protect. I had to let go of Charlie, for Daniel and the kids, never forget but let go."

Ben watched Daniel lift Johnny into his arms and swing him around before putting him down again. "I think letting go of that guilt and pain would make Charlie happy, knowing that you are getting a chance to be a dad again."

"I hope so, Daniel deserves nothing less than someone who is one hundred percent here with me and the kids deserve everything I can give them."

"I am going to see if my lovely wife is going to serve us some dinner, if she's done pouting in her room," Ben said and gripped Jack's shoulder for a moment before walking inside.

Jack decided sitting on the sidelines was not his style, so he ran off the porch to play with his family while his dad spoke to his mom. Whether or not she accepted Daniel didn't matter, Jack was still going to see his brothers and invite them to the ceremony and if his mother couldn't be there for him and Daniel then so be it.

He rolled in the yard, played with his kids and kissing his Danny whenever the moment presented itself. Even if he had to make up the reasons sometimes. Jack was glad that he was healthy enough to play in the yard, and laugh at his sniffling spouse-to-be again.